New jail rules costly to counties

Callaway and other counties throughout the state won’t be able to afford expensive new requirements mandated by the federal government designed to eliminate inmate rapes, Callaway County Sheriff Dennis Crane predicts.

Crane reacted to new rules mandated by the Obama Administration Thursday requiring all city and county jails to classify inmates by the degree of violence.

President Obama directed the Justice Department to write rules and regulations to implement a federal law passed in 2003 known as the Prison Rape Elimination Act.